Signs of Spring

Not a lot of news to report this week. After last year's 7+ FEET of snowfall, we have had a warmer than normal winter in Spokane this year. So much so in fact, that when I was out in the garden yesterday, I saw new growth starting to pop up in the perennial beds. Hooray! The weather folks are saying we can expect some temps into the 60s this week, so I am excited about that. Daytime temps have been in the 50s for several weeks now. I am ready for spring!

In dieting news, Steve and I are stilling working toward our goals. Month #2 has been easier. Less sugar/carb cravings for sure, and finding out what makes sense in terms of meal prep. Subw@y has still played a major role in our weekly diet, as has salmon, chicken, a variety of turkey products - many, many veggies - and rice. Steve has lost 20 lbs and I have lost 15 lbs total since January 1. I'm making it to my aqua sport class at the gym 2-3x/week, and trying to be more active in general. We were pleased to see that IH0P has added healthier options to their breakfast menu, allowing us to still enjoy the occasional brunch out for eggbeaters, turkey bacon and multi-grain blueberry pancakes...yummy!

My beloved blackberry cr@pped out on me last week. Not good when you rely on it as much as I do, particularly when you work remotely. So I sucked it up and got the new iphone on Friday. It's taking me some time to figure out the whole "touchscreen" typing thing, but I'm getting there. I believe I am one of the few people on earth that has never owned an ipod, so I was kind of excited to get my music loaded onto my phone this weekend as well.

No news on the adoption front. The Chinese gov't offices typically shut down for a couple of weeks during the New Year festival and should be back to work this week. So hopefully my agency will be getting files on new children needing homes in the coming weeks. It could still be several months before I receive a referral, but I am ready to meet Lia whenever her file is presented to me! Meanwhile, I am praying for my friend Bonnie, who is leaving for China this week to go get her baby girl. Bonnie and I are with the same agency and both sent our dossiers to China the same month, so we have been on the same chatboards and gift exchange groups for several years now. Her daughter NiNi has a fairly serious heart issue and needs to get back to the U.S. asap for heart surgery - so please keep Bonnie and NiNi in your prayers this week! In fact, my agency has several families traveling to meet their little ones this week, so please keep them all in your thoughts and prayers over the next couple of weeks.